Case Study

KTS Assists Tufts University Police Department in Improving Cellular Reception

University cellular reception improvement

Client: Tufts University Campus Police

Location: Medford, MA

Technology: Cellular Reception

Sector: Education

Lifecycle Phases Showing KTS Involvement:

Plan

Design

Install

Service

Solutions implemented by KTS:

Infrastructure

Wireless

Security

Audio Visual

Cellular BDA

Tufts University Police Department was having trouble with cellular reception in their offices. The university reached out to KTS, with whom they had worked previously, for help with this cellular reception problem.

The Work

The police department is on the first floor of a seven story building. Floor seven holds offices and the intervening floors form a concrete parking structure. The concrete was the likely cause of the poor cell reception. Dense concrete can block cell signals and make reception difficult. KTS recommended the installation of a bi-directional amplifier (BDA) to improve cellular reception. They also recommended a long range antenna to ensure ample coverage for everyone in the building on all carriers.

Challenges

Finding a conduit from the roof of the building that would allow KTS to run the cabling from the donor antenna to the first floor data closet was a challenge. Floors 2 through 6 are a concrete parking garage, so they weren’t sure what they would be able to do. Fortunately KTS was able to locate a conduit that allowed them to run the cabling down through the building and terminate it at the first-floor data closet where the BDA was installed.

Benefits/Impact

The Tufts University Police Department now has reliable cellular reception ensuring that calls can be received and are not dropped. This creates a safer and more productive work environment for everyone in the police department and the campus that relies on them.